Taiwanese diplomat accuses China of stealing semiconductor tech

Taiwan and China have a history of conflict for many reasons we won’t dive into here. Recently, the tension between them escalated as Taiwan accused China of stealing its advanced semiconductor technology. Just so you know, Taiwan is the top player globally when it comes to semiconductor tech, thanks to companies like TSMC, the biggest semiconductor maker worldwide in terms of revenue, overtaking Samsung back in 2022.

Taiwan accuses China of stealing semiconductor technology

As reported by Tom’s Hardware, Taiwan’s diplomat in Washington, Alexander Yui, accused China of trying to compete with Taiwan’s semiconductor industry unfairly. He said China is stealing Taiwan’s ideas and secrets. Yui doesn’t think China can catch up with Taiwan’s chip technology, especially in making the newest and best chips. But China’s ambassador in the US denies these allegations and says Chinese companies are not doing anything wrong.

Taiwanese diplomat told Reuters, referring to China, “They do not really follow the rules,” he further said, “They cheat and they copy, etc. They steal technology.”

China’s diplomat denied these allegations. China Embassy spokesperson told Reuters, “China’s scientific and technological achievements are never made through ‘cheating’ and ‘stealing’.”

The troubling relationship between the US and China might also have an effect here. Washington accuses China of using its big market and control over supply chains to force countries into giving away important technology. They say China’s extensive cyber theft makes it the biggest threat to America’s tech competitiveness.

Meanwhile, Taiwan has been looking into many Chinese companies suspected of stealing semiconductor engineers and other tech experts.

Both are top players in terms of tech

While Taiwan is home to the world’s largest independent semiconductor foundry, China has established itself as the biggest phone maker in the world, ahead of India.

China, notably, is home to major brands like Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and OnePlus. Other than phones, it has houses semiconductor firms like SMIC, HiSilicon, etc.